Artwork
Saint Rosalia
Saint Rosalia is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Anthony van Dyck. It dates from 1625 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
This painting shows Saint Rosalia, done in oil by Anthony van Dyck around 1625. It’s a religious portrait meant to honor a local saint. The work traveled from a private owner to Spanish royal hands before landing in its current home.
One twist: the king of Spain bought it in 1664 through his man in Naples. That’s how it ended up in Madrid.
Want to see more like it? Look up Anthony van Dyck.
Overview
Anthony van Dyck painted this oil on canvas portrait of Saint Rosalia around 1625. The work measures a three‑quarter length figure, with the saint holding a skull in her left hand, and reflects the artist’s activity while he was confined to Palermo during a plague outbreak.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents the patron saint of Palermo, Rosalia, in a contemplative pose that emphasizes mortality through the skull she bears. The inclusion of the memento mori element aligns with contemporary devotional practices that sought intercession against disease.
Technique & Style
Van Dyck’s handling of the canvas shows the influence of local painter Pietro Novelli, evident in the softened modeling of flesh and the atmospheric background. The brushwork combines Flemish precision with a more relaxed, Italianate palette typical of his Sicilian period.
History & Provenance
Initially owned by the Neapolitan noble Giovan Francesco Serra di Cassano, the painting entered the Spanish royal collection in 1664 when Philip IV purchased it through his viceroy in Naples, Gaspar de Bracamonte. It has been part of the Museo del Prado’s holdings in Madrid since the 19th century.
Context
The work belongs to a small group of van Dyck’s Saint Rosalia paintings produced in the mid‑1620s, all sharing a similar composition now found in Palermo, London and Houston. These pieces were collectively exhibited at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in 2011‑2012, highlighting the artist’s response to the plague in Palermo.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Sir Anthony van Dyck (; Dutch: Antoon van Dijck ; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque artist, who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy.
